Last December, the Pentagon launched Operation Prosperity Guardian, a joint US/UK mission to secure Red Sea shipping from Yemeni Houthi disruption. Despite spending over a billion dollars, the mission failed.

Why does it seem the Pentagon is far better at spending money than actually putting together a successful operation? The failed “Operation Prosperity Guardian” and the disastrous floating Gaza pier are but two recent examples of enormously expensive initiatives that, though they no-...